


A Happy New Year

by emynn (orphan_account)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabble Sequence, Established Relationship, M/M, Romance, flangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-23
Updated: 2012-09-23
Packaged: 2017-11-14 20:47:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/519363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/emynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus has a surprise first-footer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Happy New Year

_**Fic: A Happy New Year**_  
 **Title:** A Happy New Year  
 **Author:** [](http://emynn.insanejournal.com/profile)[**emynn**](http://emynn.insanejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** PG-13  
 **Summary:** Severus has a surprise first-footer.  
 **Word Count:** 10 x 100  
 **Warnings:** Porny muse has gone on holiday, leaving me with the sentimental muse. Enjoy. ;-)  
 **A/N:** Written for [](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/snarry100/profile)[](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/snarry100/)**snarry100** ' prompt #299 First-foot. Inspired by the countless number of YouTube videos I couldn't tear myself away from of servicemen surprising their loved ones at Christmas. Not beta read.  
 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

Severus drained the last of his scotch and set down his glass. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was just minutes from midnight. Not that it made any difference. Severus wasn’t eager to bid the previous year farewell, but only because at this rate, the only thing he had to look forward to in the coming one was a hangover.

With a grimace, and only because an irritating Harry-sounding voice in his head was nagging him to do so, he stood to get himself a glass of water. There was no need to be a complete masochist.

~*~

It was strange to think that at one point Severus had viewed this year with great potential. He and Harry had somehow fallen into a relationship that Severus found strange and exciting and beyond anything he could have hoped for. From the moment they had first kissed, Severus had felt a piece of himself he didn’t realize was missing click into place. He’d never looked back.

Somehow, that foolish, reckless, brave, noble-hearted young man with messy hair and crooked smile had gotten utterly under Severus’s skin and wormed his way into his heart.

And Harry said the feeling was mutual.

~*~

When Harry was asked to join an elite branch of Aurors who collaborated with the Unspeakables to capture the worst of Wizarding world, Severus encouraged him to accept immediately. Harry could finally prove to the world and himself that he was more than a boy hero.

Severus hadn’t realized Harry’s first assignment would take him away indefinitely. Since last November, Severus had been reduced to treasuring infrequent notes from Harry, hasty scribbles of “alive” and “love you.”

For a man who had become accustomed to the warmth of a lover after a lifetime of loneliness, the emptiness was especially bitter.

~*~

But this was a new type of bitterness. It was tinged with fear for Harry’s well-being and a selfish desire to have him home in bed with him, coupled with guilt for wanting to take Harry away from the career opportunity of a lifetime. On any given day Severus could wake up furious with Harry for disrupting his life so much, or, if he had awakened on the cusp of a happy dream, nostalgic of their time together and hopeful that _this_ would finally be the day Harry returned home.

It was the latter that was more difficult to bear.

~*~

At first, Severus didn’t even realize somebody was knocking at the door just as the clock struck midnight. Irritated at the interruption, he swung open the door.

And froze.

“Hello,” Harry said. “Need a first-footer?”

Severus stared.

“I’m not tall, but I’ve the dark hair. And look.” He held out a bag. “There’s whisky, bread, and I reckon I have a coin on me.” He paused. “Severus?”

Still unable to form words, particularly with the uncomfortable knot forming in his throat, Severus answered by pulling Harry to him and kissing him just hard enough to be assured he was real.

~*~

The year got off to a much more auspicious start than the last. Finally reunited in their bed, Severus delighted in relearning every curve of Harry’s body, the way he moaned at Severus’s touch, and the way his breath came in harsh gasps just before he climaxed.

Severus had never cared for the trite traditional kiss at midnight, but he found himself undeniably grateful to be holding Harry in his arms at this moment. In spite of everything, it gave him hope for a brighter future.

“I missed you,” he admitted, the inadequacy of the words heavy on his tongue.

~*~

Harry kissed Severus’s shoulder. “I missed you too.” He took a deep breath. “That’s why I quit.”

Severus attempted the protest he knew he should have given, but the relief flooding his body kept him silent.

“I can’t do it again,” Harry continued. “We finished the project on Christmas Day. Everybody was thrilled. But all I could think about was how it was the second Christmas in a row I missed with you. And it took me another week before I could get home with all the paperwork … I just wanted to be able to go home to you.”

~*~

“I won’t have you give up your dream job on account of me,” Severus said. He couldn’t have Harry resenting him in the future. “If this is what you want – ”

“It’s not my dream job,” Harry interrupted. “It’s exciting, and rewarding, and I’m glad I did it. But the only reason I didn’t quit earlier was that I was afraid you’d be disappointed in me. I want you to have a partner you can be proud of.”

“I’m in a relationship with Harry Potter,” Severus said dryly. “I daresay I have plenty of reasons to be proud of him.”

~*~

Harry laughed. “You know what I mean. Not because of Voldemort or anything but because … of _me_.”

“I know,” Severus replied, and grabbed Harry’s hand. “My answer still stands.”

Harry pressed his lips to where their hands joined. “Thank you.”

“It’s for the best, anyway. If you’d been away much longer, I would’ve gone entirely gray. Do you know how difficult it was to track your whereabouts?”

Harry chuckled and relaxed against Severus’s chest. “You weren’t supposed to be able to. Unspeakables, remember?”

“Hmph,” Severus said, and stroked Harry’s hair. It was softer than he remembered. “Severus Snape, remember?”

~*~

“I want to celebrate Christmas,” Harry murmured sleepily. “With a tree. I got you presents, just have to wrap them.”

“I have some for you too,” Severus admitted.

Harry’s head popped up. “Really?” he asked with a broad grin. “But you didn’t know I’d be here.”

“Hush, brat,” Severus said. “I thought you were going to sleep.”

“I am,” Harry replied, his voice softening again. “With happy dreams of Christmas and a Severus snowman…”

Severus pulled the blankets around them. This year would undoubtedly be a good one. With Harry as his first-footer, he had all the fortune he’d need.

The End.

* * *  
  
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